UNIT 7- GROUP 2

PARIS IS FREE!

LA NUEVE AND THE FRENCH SOLDIERS FREE PARIS FROM THE NAZIS

Three days ago, August 24th of 1944, the Ninth Division of the French Army, known as La Nueve, formed by exiled spanish soldiers, entered in the center of Paris at 21:22 through the Porte d'Italie. When they entered in the City Hall's square, the spanish tank "Ebro" shot agaisnt german troops. After that, french citizens came out to the streets singing The Marseillaise. The first liberators were spaniards, members of La Nueve. The leader of this squad, Raymond Dronne went to the commandancy of the german general Dietrich von Choltitz to ask for their surrender.

While waiting for the result of Dronne's operation, the spaniards took the Chamber of Deputies, the Majestic Hotel and the Harmony Square after having a loss. On 3:30 pm of August 25th, the German troops of Paris surrendered and the spanish troops took Von Choltitz, while other french units also entered the capital. American general Eisenhower also sent some of his troops to help the french.

Yesterday, August 26th, allied troops entered triumphant in Paris. The spaniards marched in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral and after that, they escorted Charles de Gaulle through the Champs Elysées. The spanish soldiers of the Leclerc Division marched with their Republican flags.

Thanks to the spanish troops, Paris was freed. Now, us, spaniards in exile are waiting for an allied intervention in Spain.

Even though Spain is neutral in the war, us, spanish republicans have helped the Allied powers, and there are some rumors that a squad known as the Blue Division, who serve the dictator Franco, still helped the Nazis after the battle of Stalingrad and some are still fighting in Berlin.

GROUP 2 - UNIT 2

Napoleon's return

The greatest emperor of Europe returns from Elba with a great army.

Napoleon, the great emperor who lost everything after a prolific ten year reign and being one of the greatest emperor of Europe, conquering it almost in its totality, is back to action.

As you know, in 1812, thinking that Russia was plotting an alliance with England, Napoleon launched an invasion against the Russians that eventually ended with his troops retreating from Moscow and much of Europe uniting against him. In 1814, Napoleon’s broken forces gave up and Napoleon offered to step down in favor of his son. When this offer was rejected, he abdicated and was sent to Elba.

Almost a year ago, on April 20, 1814, the dethroned Emperor left France for the isle of Elba, where he was exiled under the terms of the Treaty of Fontainebleau. Napoleon would be allowed to rule Elba, which had 12,000 inhabitants. Perhaps cruelly, the treaty allowed him to retain the title "Emperor." On May 4 1814, Napoleon, now 45 years old, arrived at Elba's capital, Portoferraio. Saying, "I want to live from now on like a justice of the peace," Napoleon actually worked hard to improve Elba, and to all observers, it seemed as though Napoleon was content to a life of relative retirement. All the while, however, he was plotting his return to Europe. On Elba, Napoleon was under the constant watch of Austrian and French guards. Nonetheless, he was not isolated: he received thousands of letters from all over Europe and read major newspapers that kept him abreast of events throughout the world.

On February 26, 1815, after less than a year in exile, Napoleon escaped Elba and sailed to the French mainland with a group of more than 1,000 supporters. On March 20, he returned to Paris, immediately, people and troops began to rally to the returned Emperor. French police forces were sent to arrest him, but upon arriving in his presence, they kneeled before him. Triumphantly where he was welcomed by cheering crowds. The new king, Louis XVIII, fled. All his old supporters kneeled... his reign is back now, and what will happen is uncertain. Some people say that a war is coming.

GROUP 3 - UNIT 2

LOUIS XVI LOST HIS HEAD

Almost all french people united in favor of the execution of the king.

At the end of last year,the national convention proclaims the republic,judge the king accusing him of treason and he is condemned to death after a vote that was approved by a vote of difference.

21ST JANUARY 1793

On the morning of January 21, 1793, Louis XVI left the Temple in a coach. At ten-fifteen in the morning, the condemned man arrived at the place where the guillotine was installed, the so-called Square of Revolution. Some guards tried to tie his hands, but Louis refused indignantly: "You will do what you have been ordered, but you will never bind me." Louis tried to escape but was arrested in the attempt by the executioner and he said: "People, I am innocent of the crimes I am accused of! May my blood never fall on France!".One or two minutes after ten twenty, he was finally guillotined.

LOUIS XVI

Decapitated already, a young member of the National Guard picked up the bloodied head and showed it to the people walking around the scaffold. Suddenly someone said "Long live the Republic!" The majority of those present began to sing "La Marseillaise," while some spectators began to dance in a circle around the scaffold.

The guards, meanwhile, placed the corpse along with the head in a wicker basket that was moved to a car. He later went to the Magdalena cemetery, where Louis XVI of Borbon, the last monarch of the Old French Regime, was buried.

The question that the French are asking: Will the republic be a better form of government for French citizens? We will continue informing.